In this recipe, the vegetables are roasted before being boiled pureed into a soup. This extra step adds so much richness and depth of flavor that it's not necessary to add any cream, keeping the soup light on calories and vegan-friendly.

I like to serve this soup topped with chunks of the roasted cauliflower. It adds a nice textural element, but you could equally well garnish this dish with a swirl of yogurt, drizzle of olive oil, or sprinkling of fresh herbs.

Method

Preheat the oven to 375.

Arrange the cauliflower florets, onions, and garlic cloves on a baking tray. Coat with olive oil and season with salt. Bake, turning once, for 25-35 minutes. You want the vegetables to be tender and slightly caramelized, but not too charred, so keep an eye on them.

Reserve 6 roasted cauliflower florets for later (you'll be using these as a garnish).

Put the remaining roasted cauliflower florets, onions, and garlic in a pot with the chicken/vegetable stock and ras el hanout. The stock should cover the vegetables, so add more if you need to. Set to boil and simmer until the vegetables are very soft, around 20 minutes.

Puree the mixture using a tabletop or immersion blender - just be careful not to burn yourself as the mixture is boiling hot. If you're using a tabletop blender, you might want to allow the mixture to cool down a bit first and then blend it in batches.

Taste the soup and add salt and pepper as required.

Dice the reserved cauliflower florets and sprinkle on top of the soup when serving. Alternatively, if you're not serving the soup immediately, you could mix these chunks through the soup. I like the added texture it gives to the dish. Enjoy!